Hope and Glory: Did the social history of eternal salvation shape the mathematical probability we rely on today?

Timothy Johnson

Hope and Glory: Did the social history of eternal salvation shape the mathematical probability we rely on today?

Timothy Johnson

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Abstract

Why do French-speaking mathematicians use the word espérance, or “hope”, to describe the core result of a calculation in mathematical probability? English speakers use the word “expectation” and it may seem odd to use hope, an emotive term, in mathematics. Mathematics, after all, should be universally, objectively, true.

Original language	English
Specialist publication	The Sociological Review
Publication status	Published - 10 Oct 2023

Access to Document

https://thesociologicalreview.org/magazine/october-2023/numbers/hope-and-glory/Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Cite this

@misc{4e747c004be44621a3c720283b71d144,

title = "Hope and Glory: Did the social history of eternal salvation shape the mathematical probability we rely on today?",

abstract = "Why do French-speaking mathematicians use the word esp{\'e}rance, or “hope”, to describe the core result of a calculation in mathematical probability? English speakers use the word “expectation” and it may seem odd to use hope, an emotive term, in mathematics. Mathematics, after all, should be universally, objectively, true.",

author = "Timothy Johnson",

year = "2023",

month = oct,

day = "10",

language = "English",

journal = "The Sociological Review",

issn = "0038-0261",

publisher = "Sage",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - Hope and Glory

T2 - Did the social history of eternal salvation shape the mathematical probability we rely on today?

AU - Johnson, Timothy

PY - 2023/10/10

Y1 - 2023/10/10

N2 - Why do French-speaking mathematicians use the word espérance, or “hope”, to describe the core result of a calculation in mathematical probability? English speakers use the word “expectation” and it may seem odd to use hope, an emotive term, in mathematics. Mathematics, after all, should be universally, objectively, true.

AB - Why do French-speaking mathematicians use the word espérance, or “hope”, to describe the core result of a calculation in mathematical probability? English speakers use the word “expectation” and it may seem odd to use hope, an emotive term, in mathematics. Mathematics, after all, should be universally, objectively, true.

M3 - Article

SN - 0038-0261

JO - The Sociological Review

JF - The Sociological Review

ER -

Hope and Glory: Did the social history of eternal salvation shape the mathematical probability we rely on today?

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this